Clearance mechanism for improperly aligned articles



y 12, 1931- R. L. WILCOX 1,805,123

CLEARANCE MECHANISM FOR IMPROPERLY ALIGNED ARTICLES Filed Jan. 2o, 19302 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 12, 1931. R. 1. WILCOX 1,5G5j23 CLEARANCE MECHANISMFOR IMPROPERLY ALIGNED ARTICLES I Filed Jan. 20, 1930 2 Sheets-Shee'i 2ands-M44 01 flici'wardLesisrwilcasg Patented l2, lgtfil BURY FAREELFOUNDRY AND lint.- .l. COBEDSEATION OF CQHIIEGTECUT GU1 ASSIGNGR TO THEWATER- Z, 6F ATEEBURY, CGNNECZZCUT,

CLEARANCE MECHANISM IDEEBOPERLY ALIG'NED ARTICLES Application filedJanuary 20 This invention relates to a new and improved clearancemechanism of the type as sociated with a chute or the like, for clearingimproperly aligned articles or blanks thereon.

Among other aims and objects oi the invention may be recited theprovision of a device of the character mentioned that will be compact,self-contained, and in which the number of parts are few, theconstruction simple, but efliciency and operation high.

The details and arrangement of the several parts will be apparent froman inspection of tie accompanying drawings, in connection with thedescription hereinaft r contained, and wherein a preferred embodiment ofthe invention is disclosed for the purpose of imparting an understandingof the same.

In the drawings, wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts inthe several figures;

Figure 1 is a side view of my improved clearance mechanism, with afragmentary view of some of the adjacent parts with which it isassociated.

Figure 2 is a front view thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view thereof,illustrating one ar angement of th parts as particularly designed forwide or long articles or blanks;

Figure 4 is a similar fragmentary sectional view, illustrating anarrangement of some of the parts shown as particularly designed fornarrow or short artic es or blanks; and

Figure 5 is a detail side view of one of th clearance wheels, kickersand actuating cam.

This invention is particularly designed for use with a hopper mechanismcontaining articles or blanks in an indiscriminate mass, from which bymeans well known in the art, they are lifted and delivered onto chutemechanism, by and through which they are conducted in orderly processionto a delivery point. Such hopper and chute mechanisms are old in the artand constitute no part of my presentinvention.

' in the delivery of these articles or blanks onto the chute mechanismsome fall in proper orderly procession for presentation at the deliverypoint, while others are misaligned 1989. Serial 33o. 422,143.

relatively thereto. It is essential that these mis igned articles orblanks be cleared and thus make way for the articles or blanks thatproperly aligned and thus provide for a con. nuous flow of a stream ofblanks through the chute mechanism without the same being l or stoppedby misaligned articles or clocked blanks.

it is the principal function of the clearance mechanism herein describedto clear such misaligned articles or blanks from the stream of blanks orarticles.

.Eiaving more particular reference to the drawings, indicates a portionof the hopper mechanism, 11 the chute plates is ding therefrom, with anopen space 12 therebetween, and through which blanks or articles 18travel in orderly procession, substantially shown in Figures 1 and 2. Abracket 14 is adjustable toward and away from the hopper mechanism 10through a T bolt 15, movable in an elongated slot 16 in the bracket, andan adjusting screw 17 with a nut 18 thereon for holding the bracket inits adjusted positions.

A screw 19 in the bracket it, which abuts against the hopper or otheradjacent mechanism, forms an adjusting limiting stop for the bracket andthe screw 40 in the poppet ll provides for an adjustment of the bracketa id through it the position of the clearance wheel toward and away fromthe chute and also prevents the same from being forced outwardly fromsuch position. lhe mechanism just described constitutes no part of mypresent invention. Fixed in the bracket 1 lis a stud 20, upon which isrotatably mounted a sleeve 21, provided with a flange 22, and carryin apulley 23, and through which po ver is transmitted to rotate the sleeve.

On the stud 20, between the bracket let and sleeve 21, is a cam 24,which is held against relative rotation by a dowel pin 39 or the like.This cam may be equally as well secured on the stud 20 by a key or thelike, or held rigid in any other desired manner. The clearance wheel isprovided with an opening 26 therethrough of suiiicient size to clear thecam 2st, having a recess 27 in its periphcry and a plurality ofperipheral notches or "'eeth adjacent thereto, these latter beingpreferably provided with an angular face 29, which may be straight orslightly curved, as desired. Similarly one or more filler disks 30,having peripheral notches or teeth, provid d with an ular faces, areprovided and positioned adjacent to the clearance wheel These disks 30and the wheel 25 are held in their relative positions on the flange bythe bolts 31, shown herein as four in number and located ecually distantfrom each other around the a is of the stud 20 and r through openingstherein. Journaled on these bel s are the kickers in such position thatthe inner wall of the end 33 is held in contact with the cam 24; bycentri'liugal force, which throws the heavier end ruztwardly. This camis so shaped as to control the path in which the nose S5 of the kicl 'ct avels, i ath adjacent to the clutch plate being outl d :y broken linesin various positions 36, i igure 1. As thus defined the nose travelssubstantially parallel with and adjacent to the top of the chute plates11. The bronze bushing 37, or the like, is slightly longe "1e width ofthe kickers 32 and thus aern its free movement of the latter between thewalls of the adjacent parts.

In practice, I prefer to arrange two sets of the kickers upon oppositesides of the clearance wheel 25, substantially as shown in the drawings,their relative positions being in part determined by the position of thetiller disks 30, several of the various positions of these disks andkickers being shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The outer ends of the bolts 81 are supported by the cheek plate 38,which also serves as a clamp for all of the parts associated with thesleeve 21, with the excep ion of the kickers, which move freely upontheir support. In the continued revolution of this mechanism the nose 35of the kickers travels over the top of the chute plates, but preferablydoes not ride thereagainst and will knock from the chute plates anyarticle misaligned thereon and all properly aligned articles will passunder the clearance wheel 25 and will not be engaged by the kickers,which pass on either side thereof.

This clearing function is materially increased by the notches or teethin the periphery of the clearance wheel 25 and kickers 32.

If desired, and as preferred, with blanks or articles of soft material,the clearance wheel and disks may be placed in reverse form, thuseliminating any possibility of nicking or marring the blank.

A fixed stripper plate 42, of well known construction, prevents anarticle or blank from passing over the clearance wheel if it should bethrown thereagainst by the action of some part in or about the hopper.

The clearance mechanism herein shown and described is self-contained, inthat structure may be assembled as a unit and then attached to thehopper mechanism ready to operate, thus obviating the necessity ofadjusting the same to suit some exterior and djacent parts that are arequired element in its operation, such as an outside cam or the like.This desirable result is obtained largely from the use of an interiorwhich insures a defined path for the vol of the nose of each of thekickers. 'ihese latter are also unyidding in one direction by reason oftheir contact with such cam. Hence, the blow or pressure applied by thekickers to the misaligned articles is positive and unyielding andinsures an effective clearance of such misaligned articles cm the chutemechanism and a continuous s ream of articles or blanks to the deliverypoint.

There are minor changes and alterations may be made within the spiritand a; of the appended claims, and I would ere ""ore have it understoodthat I do not t myself to the exact construction herein Wu anddescribed.

a ratent, is a clearance mechanism; a rotary r a clearance wheelconnected therei associated with the rotary pivot mounting, the axis ofelly puallel with that of he rotary member; and cam means for acrinp;the kicker upon its pivot mounting located nearer the axis of the rotarymember than the kicker.

2. In a clearance mechanism; a rotary member; a clearance wheelconnected therewith; kicker associatcd with the rotary member upon apivot mounting, the axis of which is substantially pa all-l with that ofthe rotary member; and fixed means for actuating said kicker upon itspivot mounting in one direction, located nearer to the axis of rotationof the rotary member than said kicker, said kicker being actuated in theopposite direction by centrifugal force.

3. In a clea 'ance mechanism; a rotary member; a clearance wheelconnected therewith; a kicker associated with the rotary member upon apivot mounting, the axis of which is substantially parallel with that ofthe rotary member; and a :am located so that the kicker rotatestherearound and is thereby caused to rec relatively thereto, said kickerhaving an inwardly turned end that is maintained in contact with the camby centrifugal force.

l. In a clearancemechanism;arotarymemher; a clearance wheel connectedtherewith; a kicker associated with the rotary member upon a pivotmounting, the axis of which is substantially parallel with that of therotary member; a filler disk adjacent to the clearance wheel; means forseparably securing said clearance wheel and filler disk to the rotarymember, said clearance wheel and filler disk having a concentric openingtherethrough and means within said opening in the path of movement ofthe kicker for positively actuating the same upon its pivot mounting inone direction, the kicker being moved in the opposite direction bycentrifugal force.

5. In a clearance mechanism; a fixed element; a cam fixed relativethereto; a rotary member on the fixed member; a clearance wheel fixed tothe rotary member; and a kicker associated with the rotary member uponav pivot mounting, which during the rotation of the rotary memberengages said cam and the movement thereof is controlled thereby in onedirection, the kicker being held in engagement with the cam bycentrifugal force.

6. In clearance mechanism; stud or the like; cam fixed relative thereto;a clearance wheel; filler disks, each of which has an openingtherethrough larger than said cam and secured to the rotary member; andkick rs associated with the clearance wheel and movably mounted about anaxis substan tially parallel with that of the stud, all of said partsbeing capable of assembly as a unit and the stud secured to a fixedelement.

In a clearance .mechanism; a rotary member; a clearance wheel connectedthere with; companion kickers pivotally connected with the clearancewheel upon one face therethe axis of rotation of the kickers beingsubstantially para lel with that of the clearance wheel, said kickersbeing located substantially diametrically opposite each other; and meansfor positively actuating the kickers in one direction upon their pivotmountings, said means being nearer the axis of the rotary member thansaid kickers, the kickers being held in contact with the said means bycentrifugal force.

8. In a clearance mechanism; a rotary member; a clearance wheelconnected therewith, said clearance wheel having a plurality ofperipheral teeth the inner face of which is inclined toward the centerof the wheel.

9. In a clearance mechanism; a rotary member; a clearance wheelconnected therewith, said clearance wheel having a plurality ofperipheral teeth, the inner face of which is inclined toward the centerof the wheel; and one or more reversibly mounted filler disks adjacentto the clearance wheel having peripheral teeth with an angular faceadjacent thereto, the latter forming an extension of the inclined innerface of the teeth of the clearance wheel when in one of its positionsrelative thereto.

10. In a clearance mechanism; a rotary member having a flange thereon; aclearance wheel secured to said flange; kickers associated with therotary member upon pivot mountings; and cam means for actuating thekickers upon their pivot mountings located nearer the axis of the rotarymember than said kickers.

11. In a chute clearance mechanism; a rotary member; a kicker associatedwith the rotary member, the nose portion of which is adj acent to theperiphery of the rotary member and means within the rotary member for actuating the kicker so that said nose portion will travel in a definedpath approximately parallel with the face of the chute, the contact ofthe kicker and said means being maintained by centrifugal force.

12. In a chute clearance mechanism; a rotary member; a kicker associatedwith the roon a pivot located at a point other than the balanced centerthereof, with the nose end adjacent to the periphery of the rotarymember; and means within the rotary member for actuating the kicker sothat said nose end will travel in a defined path approximately parallelto the face of the chute, the contact of the kicker and said means beingmaintained by centrifugal force.

13. In a clearance mechanism; a rotary member; a clearance wheelconnected therewith; a non-rotatable cam about which the clearance wheelrotates; and a kicker movable with the rotary member about a pivotmounting the axis of which is substantially parallel with and spacedfrom that of the rotary member and having cont-act with said cam wherebythe outer end of the kicker is moved radially between a point outside ofthe clearance wheel and a point inside thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

RICHARD LESTER WILCOX.

